A Painted Trunk

Recently I got this really great trunk and was debating whether to alter it or not.  The great thing about chalk and mineral paints is that they can be used in many different applications.  If it weren't for these paints, the trunk would have stayed the same.  But knowing that chalk paint can be used for practically anything, I decided to use it on the trunk.

Here is it before.

The first thing I did was clean the trunk really well with a basic gentle cleaner.  Then I applied Annie Sloan's Versaille as a base coat.  I painted over pretty much everything, including most of the metal.  After that dried, I did a wash of Annie Sloan's Old White which was half paint half water.  I wiped away some of the areas if the paint seemed too watery.  This gave a really nice texture with some of the green showing underneath.

After this was dry, I stenciled some nonsensical French words and a fleur de lis.  I did it on each side facing a different way so it could either rest on its side with the words facing up, or rest on its bottom with words facing up.  After it was stenciled, I sprayed it with shellac to seal the paint.

Here is the final result-

I'm very pleased with the result and how the paint performed on the trunk.  This piece has been taken to Tags in Hudson, WI and is available for sale.

A Cedar Chest

I found this amazing cedar chest recently and was anxious to give it a makeover.  The chest had already been painted, or perhaps stained over paint.  It had an odd finish and needed a new look.  Fortunately, the inside had not been touched.  Beautiful cedar is on the base and lid of the chest.  It was a great find!

The edges were peeling a bit and required some sanding.

After sanding some of the peeling edges, I cleaned the piece really well.

I enjoy using different products and trying new things, so I was anxious to use Webster's Chalk Paint Powder for this piece.  A soft French gray seemed an appropriate color, which I happened to have in a Behr sample pot.   The Chalk Paint Powder was very simple to use.  I measured out the amount needed for the amount of paint that I had, and put it in a container and added water.  After it was mixed very well, I added the paint (which had a matte finish) and stirred again.  The paint thickened and acted very much like manufactured chalk and clay paints that are made today.

At that point I started painting away.  The paint didn't seem to dry as quickly as other chalk paints, but that was the only real noticeable difference.  After the paint had dried, I did some light sanding in certain areas to distress the piece.  Finally, I used Fiddes & Sons wax to seal it.

As far as the chalk paint powder goes, I enjoyed working with it and would definitely use it again.  I like already mixed paints, but I like the fact that you can have more color options with this.  You can add it to any regular paint, as long as it's a matte, eggshell, or even satin finish. As far as cost goes, it really depends on the cost of the paint you use.  The bag of powder was $14 (which doesn't include shipping) and it makes a quart of paint.  Behr 8 oz. sample pots are $3 each, so a quart's worth would total $12.  $26 for a quart of chalk paint.  Not too bad.

The down side is I'm guessing there might be a lack of consistency since paint brands are different.  I am curious to try it with another brand to see how it turns out.  Using well known respectable brands would be important, I would imagine.

As far as the Fiddes & Sons wax goes, it gave a wonderful finish and was very easy to work with.  This is one of the best waxes I've tried.  The downfall is that it has an odor, and typically I like to use really green products.  I will use it this summer while I can do projects outdoors, but I won't be using it in the house.  Bioshield is my favorite wax as far as the quality and sweet smell, but I still have other green wax products to try.

Well enough on that.  I bet you'd like to see the final product.

This turned into a great little piece.  The chest is currently at Tags in Hudson, WI and is available for sale.

French Provincial Dresser

Recently I finished a dresser that I found to be the perfect item to paint.  It had great lines and was a solid piece, but the wood wasn't particularly pretty and it wasn't an antique.  That means painting with no guilt.

Here it is when I started (yes, you never shoot into the sun).

I wanted an off-white color with a darker top, so I chose Annie Sloan's Old Ochre for the body of the dresser and French Linen for the top.  First I cleaned the piece really well, then started painting away.  This is how it looked after one coat of paint.

After a second coat, it became the nice soft cream color that Old Ochre is.  Two coats of French Linen went on the top.  I waxed the sides and drawers which created a nice soft glow.  Although I will apply wax to the tops of pieces that don't get heavy use, I prefer having a harder, more maintenance-free top surface.  So I used a couple of coats of CeCe Caldwell's satin finish for the top (I know, I know. I tend to mix brands together in one project.  But they all work together nicely.)  After applying the finish, I lightly sanded the piece with 600 grit sand to create a smooth, soft feel.  Here is the final product.

I'm pleased with the elegant look this piece now has.  It is currently at Tags in Hudson, WI and is available for sale.

Earth Day and Landfills

One thing that makes me proud of my work with Belle Junque is the focus on reusing.  We have become such a throwaway society and it has become the norm to constantly replace our things.  Belle Junque, along with many other repurposed furniture businesses, takes old furniture or home decor items and cleans them up for another round of use.  We are making a small dent in helping our world by keeping things out of landfills longer.

Last year on earth day I wrote about indoor air quality and green products which you can read about here.  This year I'd like to focus on landfills.

According to the EPA website, Americans generated 250 millions tons of trash in 2010.  This includes items such as clothing, bottles, food scraps, newspapers, appliances, paint, batteries, and furniture!  The good news is that 85 million tons of this trash was recycled or composted.  We have become smarter and more dedicated to the idea of recycling. 

There are steps we can all take to recycle or reduce, resulting in less waste going to our landfills.  These are some reminders that I need in my own life:

• Think before you buy.  Do you need it in the first place?  What environmental impact does this item have?  How long will it last?
• Consider reusing what you already have.  Can your own items be repurposed or recreated to have a longer life? 
• Consider buying already used items.  Can you find what you need at a thrift store or garage sale, or perhaps from a friend or relative?  Can you buy from a store that focuses on repurposing?
• Dispose of items properly.  Can you compost food?  Can you donate what you don't need?  Can you create one more use out of something before throwing it in the trash?
• Consider local waste resources.  Check with your city or county for the proper disposal of hazardous materials, such as paint, stains, polyurethanes, and other similar products.  Consider what you buy in the first place and choose products that are not hazardous. 

I admit I get lazy at times and don't always follow my own suggestions.  We all need reminders so we can do our part to maintain this beautiful earth.  In some small way, I hope I'm making a dent with my business by keeping our landfills just a little smaller. 

A Shabby Cabinet

Sometimes we don't get things right the first time.  When it comes to furniture, it's always a guess as to what someone will like.  Will someone like an item to be really colorful or fairly neutral?  Solidly painted or heavily distressed?  Simple and clean or with some added graphic?

Last fall I found a neat little cabinet that would be perfect for toy storage or to hold a small tv.  It could even be used as a nightstand or end table.  It's a nice little size.

At first I thought it would look great in a light creamy yellow that was heavily distressed.  So that's what I did, and I really liked the result.  But it sat in my booth space for a while and eventually, the color just didn't seem right for this piece.  So it was time for round two.

I repainted it solidly in Annie Sloan's Old White (this piece was previously waxed, so using chalk paint to repaint was the best solution).  Then came a coat of her Duck Egg Blue.  It was really pretty as you could see some of the white peeking through under the blue.  Some areas I sanded real lightly to bring out more of the white underneath.  Overall the piece was brighter than I wanted, so I toned it down with some French Linen.  With the French Linen, I added equal parts water to paint to make a wash.  The wash worked really nicely as the dark gray paint spread  over the Duck Egg Blue, darkening it and giving it some added texture.  The three colors work really well together and create an old world look.  After the paint had completely dried, I waxed the piece in clear wax.  Here is the final result.

I think this is an improvement and works really well with the style of the cabinet.  It is currently in Belle Junque's booth space at Tags in Hudson, WI. 

Retro Folding Chairs

I'd like to share a simple before and after of a recent project involving some old metal chairs.  I had acquired four retro folding chairs, but was a little stumped on what to do with them.  They weren't really my style and I didn't have much of a vision for them. 

But that changed when I found a green ticking stripe fabric at Hancock Fabrics.  I purchased it for another use, but realized how nice it would look with these chairs.  After reupholstering the four chairs, this was the end result.

There was a little leftover fabric to make some fun pillows.

There are four chairs total and they can fold up when not being used.  They will be going to Tags in Hudson, WI this week and will be available for purchase.

An Oval End Table

I'll admit, I haven't been the best blogger lately.  I could lay out all the excuses related to being busy, but I won't bore you with those details.  I also have focused on posting pictures to Belle Junque's Facebook page, so if you can catch up that way if you're interested.

One of my latest projects was a sweet little oval end table with good bones, but as usual, was dull and scratched.

I wanted to strip or sand the top and restain it, but the continuing snow and cold here in Minnesota prevented me from doing that.  And I don't like to strip furniture or do much sanding in my little house.  Unfortunately, those projects are all left for that little window we call summer.

So in the end I painted the entire piece using white and a light French gray color, both in Behr paint.  The combination is really pretty.  I considered doing a graphic on the top, but in the end I liked the simple and pure white, so left it as it is.  I used CeCe Caldwell's satin finish on top to create a hard and durable surface.  I waxed the sides and legs for a soft touch.  This table, with its beautiful shape and simple, slightly distressed look, turned out lovely.

I hope that someone likes it as much as I do.  This oval end table is now at Tags in Hudson, WI and is available for sale.